Flash-light cartridge.



No; 676,979. Patented lune 25, l90l. A. E. COLGATE.

' FLASH LIGHT CARTRIDGE.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1900.)

(N o M o d a I.)

ATTORNEY NiTE TATES FLAsl-l-LlGHT CARTRlDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 676, dated 31111.9 1901 Application filed December 18, 1900. Serial No. 40,302. (lilo model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR EASTMAN COL- .GATE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash-Light Cartridges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to artificial illuminating devices, and particularly to flash-light devices or cart-ridges designed for the use of photographers, amateur and professional.

The object of my invention is to provide a safe and efiective package or cartridge containing a flash-light powder, which when used will generate with a minimum amount of powder a flame of verylarge proportions,

whereby the harsh shadows will be broken up and a soft daylight effect produced; This I accomplish by the use of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the package or cartridge, the coverbeing shown in dotted outline. Fig. 2 'is a view of a some-. what graphic nature to illustrate the explosion of the cartridge and the edect produced upon the illuminating-flame.

1 is a box, preferably cylindrical in form. 2 is a supporting-post located substantially in the center of said box.

' 3 is a disk or wad of suitable yielding material secured to the supporting-post 2.

4 is a. fuse projecting into the box and extendingoutside snfliciently far to permit the same to be readily ignited.

5 isa suitable cover,which may be provided, if desired.

6 is a suitable flash-light powder located within the box 1 and underneath the disk 3.

In the claims the disk 3 will he referred to as the spreader, since in operation its function is to deflect the flame, so that it will be spread out in the form of an inverted umbrella, thus breaking up all the harsh shadows and giving a soft daylight edect to the picture. Obviously the supporting means for the spreader may be varied as desired without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, the mainpur-p'ose of the spreader being, as above indicated, to flare out and spread the flame.

spreader is to make a more or less confined space for the flash-light powder, so that be fore the explosion and flash occur the entire or substantially the entire mass of powder.

Another purposeof the the entire powder mass is on fire, at which Jnoment the spreader is deflected and the flame projected outwardly and upwardly. In

operation it is simply necessary to remove the cover and light the fuse.

The box 1 may be made of any suitable.

material. Wood, for example, may be used with perfect safety, because the dash is so quick that there is not suificient time for the wood to become ignited.

The advantage of confining the powder until it is substantially all ignited consists in securing the almost instantaneous. complete combustion of the powder. Consequently n9 lagging flash is permitted, such as frequently results in the fogging of photographic plates or the blurring of the objects being photographed.

In the use of. these devices thereis no danger of accident due to the spilling out of any of the flash-light'powder, because the spreader 3 serves to confine the same prope ly in place until the instant of the explosion.

What I claim is 1. A flash-light cartridge comprising a receptacle, a spreader supported therein, a flash-light powder within said receptacle and underneath said spreader, and means for igniting the flash-light powder.

- 2. A flash-light cartridge comprising a re ceptacle, a central support therein, a spreader carried by said support, a flash-light powder within said receptacle and underneath said spreader and confined thereby, and means for igniting the flash-light powder.

3. A flash-light cartridge comprising a cylindrical receptacle, a central supporting stud or post, a flash-light powder within said receptacle and surrounding said post, a disklike spreader supported on said post and of a size corresponding substantially to the interior dimensions of said receptacle, and means for igniting said flash-light powder.

ARTHUR EASTMAN COLGATE.

Witnesses:

R. O. MITCHELL,

L. VREELAND. 

